The Rancher's Want Ad Mix-Up by Megan Besing

 A mail-order mistake…

Or a made-to-be match?

When Della Mae Wagner’s train arrives in Missouri, she’s shocked to find that the couple who hired her don’t just want a teacher for their grandsons but a wife for their son! After a broken engagement, marriage is not in Della’s plans. And Hank Lamson isn’t pleased—with his parents, with his unexpected guest or with Della’s unfairly appealing smile. But his plans to send her packing are foiled as his family comes to love her…and he feels the walls around his wounded heart to start to fall.

My thoughts:

The Rancher’s Want Ad Mix-Up is one of my favorite books that I have read this year.  I absolutely adored Della Wagner and my heart broke for her after she discovers that the want-ad she has answered is not for a teaching position but for a bride.  Unfortunately, she isn’t the only one in the dark because Hank Lamson has no idea his parents placed the ad.

I loved the Lamson family, the parents are sweet, well-meaning people who want the best for their widowed son and their three adorable, albeit at times naughty grandsons.  Poor Della has to prove to Hank that she is more than capable and qualified to teach his children, even after getting off to a rocky start.  The love and genuine affection that is shown to Della by the kids and parents is unexpected and something she is unaccustomed to.  If only Hank would open his eyes and his heart, they could be the family they all so desperately need.

This book has more than a few surprises which made for such a wonderful and thoroughly satisfying read. Kudos to the author for crafting memorable characters, a lovely setting and a heartwarming storyline. I look forward to reading more of this authors work.

 I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.  All opinions are my own.

Death Valley Hideout (Desert Justice#4) by Dana Mentink

A killer seeking revenge

will stop at nothing to get it…

Pilar Jefferson is shocked to learn that her supposedly deceased father is alive and has been in prison—and now his ruthless former partner is after her. Fleeing on her wedding day was the best way to protect her loved ones. But now with her mother held for ransom and her ex-fiancé, Austin Duke, stumbling back into her life, can she keep everyone safe—and escape an assassin?

From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.

Desert Justice

Book 1: Framed in Death Valley
Book 2: Missing in the Desert
Book 3: Death Valley Double Cross
Book 4: Death Valley Hideout
 

My thoughts:

What a heart pounding, thrilling ride Ms. Mentink takes her readers on in Death Valley Hideout.  The action starts fairly early on and continues throughout in this suspenseful romance.  There is also a strong family dynamic which I absolutely adored.

Willow Duke and Tony Ortega need all the support of law enforcement, family and most importantly faith they can get if they are to survive the killer that’s out to get them.  The addition of the two children they are trying to protect added to this incredible, hard to put down, must read novel.  If you haven’t read the other books in the series this can be read as a standalone, but please read them all because they are well written with memorable characters.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own

Threads of Hope (Plain Patterns #3) by Leslie Gould

 Tally Smucker's quiet life of reading and quilting masks her sorrow over her mother's declining health and the lack of a fulfilling future for herself. When her entire world is shaken by her free-spirited neighbor Danielle, who grew up Plain but joined the Army at eighteen, Tally's instinct is to distance herself.

Yet she finds she can't turn away when Danielle's brother, Kenan, specifically asks for her help. She invites Danielle to visit Plain Patterns quilt shop with her, where owner Jane Berger begins telling a story set during World War I. The plight of a soldier and the girl he left behind resonates with both Tally and Danielle, but for different reasons.

When Tally's mother suffers a stroke at the same time Danielle's PTSD becomes unmanageable, it seems Tally's efforts to aid them only make things worse. Can Jane's story, along with the care of Kenan, help Tally accept the hope--for all of them--that waits just around the corner?

My thoughts:

Ms. Gould takes her readers back to Plain Patterns, the quilt shop where I have happily spent many hours in the three books in this series.  These are all time-slip novels where the author seamlessly takes us on a journey from modern day to tales of the past.  Everyone who comes in is welcomed with open arms, surrounded by people who truly care about their community and their neighbors.

I feel at home here, with the warmth and genuine friendship within the pages. I loved this book and suggest reading them in order to feel the love and caring throughout this amazing series.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

 

The Bookseller's Promise (The Amish Bookstore #1) by Beth Wiseman

 In the first novel of Beth Wiseman’s new Amish Bookstore series, a rare, old book may hold answers to a present-day romance.

Yvonne Wilson arrives in Montgomery, Indiana, determined to purchase a rare book on behalf of a client willing to pay her an absurd amount of money for her efforts. Engaged to be married in a few months, Yvonne is thrown off guard when she finds herself attracted to the handsome bookstore owner, Jake Lantz—and now she’s asking herself unexpected questions about her future.

Jake Lantz made a promise to his grandfather to never sell the book Yvonne wants to buy, and it’s a promise he plans to keep. Jake begins to read the book with Eva, one of his employees, and Eva sees this time together as a way to get Jake to see her in a new light. Eva’s loved him for years but senses Yvonne’s attraction to Jake right away—and she wonders how Jake feels about Yvonne, an attractive English woman determined to stay in Montgomery until she convinces Jake to sell the rare book.

As Yvonne’s, Jake’s, and Eva’s individual paths merge into something more than they could have imagined, each must face decisions they never anticipated. Will Jake ultimately break his promise to his grandfather? Will Yvonne leave the quaint life she’s been living in Amish Country to go back to her fiancé? And will Eva be able to get Jake to see her as more than a friend? The answers just might be buried within the pages of a rare book.

My thoughts:

The Amish Bookstore series get off to a fantastic start in this first book.  I loved meeting Jake, Eva and Yvonne. Yvonne is searching for a rare book to sell which is owned by an Amish man named Jake.  Both are wanting the book, but Jake owns the book and is just as determined to keep it as Yvonne is to buy it.

It’s a fascinating storyline that kept me engaged throughout. I was drawn to Jake immediately and admired his determination in wanting to keep a promise he had made to his grandfather; Eva is so sweet and kind that it was easy to love her. I liked Yvonne more as I got to know her.  I became extremely fond of the characters and look forward to reading the next book in the series.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions are my own.

Shadows in the Mind's Eye by Janyre Tromp BLOG TOUR and GIVEAWAY

 

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Charlotte Anne Mattas longs to turn back the clock. Before her husband, Sam, went to serve his country in the war, he was the man everyone could rely on--responsible, intelligent, and loving. But the person who's come back to their family farm is very different from the protector Annie remembers. Sam's experience in the Pacific theater has left him broken in ways no one can understand--but that everyone is learning to fear.

Tongues start wagging after Sam nearly kills his own brother. Now when he claims to have seen men on the mountain when no one else has seen them, Annie isn't the only one questioning his sanity and her safety. If there were criminals haunting the hills, there should be evidence beyond his claims. Is he really seeing what he says, or is his war-tortured mind conjuring ghosts?

Annie desperately wants to believe her husband. But between his irrational choices and his nightmares leaking into the daytime, she's terrified he's going mad. Can she trust God to heal Sam's mental wounds--or will sticking by him mean keeping her marriage at the cost of her own life?

Debut novelist Janyre Tromp delivers a deliciously eerie, Hitchcockian story filled with love and suspense. Readers of psychological thrillers and historical fiction by Jaime Jo Wright and Sarah Sundin will add Tromp to their favorite authors list.

My thoughts:

This intriguing debut novel surprised me because it seemed like it was penned by a seasoned author. Ms. Tromp brought her characters to life in the story of Sam and Annie as they are reunited when Sam returns from WWII.  As you can imagine, things are difficult for this couple, especially since he is struggling with PTSD.  Sam has to adjust to being home, fatherhood and trying to be a good husband.

There are highs and lows with his homecoming with the lows far more prevalent the highs throughout much of the storyline. I found myself questioning Sam’s sanity a time or two at first but then became clearer as the story progressed that something was very wrong even though those around him didn’t believe him at first. A perfect blend of mystery, family and love made this a truly wonderful read.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.  All opinions are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Janyre Tromp is a historical novelist whose loves spinning tales that, at their core, hunt for beauty, even when it isn’t pretty. She’s the author of Shadows in the Mind’s Eye and coauthor of It’s a Wonderful Christmas.

She’s also a book editor, published children’s book author, and lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan with her family, two crazy cats, and a slightly eccentric Shetland Sheepdog. And if you ever meet in person, you pronounce that first name Jan-ear.

You can find her on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and her website, www.JanyreTromp.com (where you can grab a free copy of her novella Wide Open).

GIVEAWAY

The book giveaway will end one week after the tour so that those on the end of the tour can share it.
 
The prize pack includes:
 
- A copy of Shadows in the Mind's Eye,
- A custom made silver peach tree necklace inspired by the book,
- A "Light speaks through the broken places" t-shirt also inspired by the book.
 

 

 

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